Sunday, December 11, 2011

Building Molecules Virtual Lab


Goals of the lab:
1. Understand the difference between atoms and molecules and recognize how how different atoms can come together to make various molecules.
2. Learn several new molecule names and their chemical formulas.
3. Recognize that the subscript describes how many atoms are in a molecule and that if there is no subscript that means that there is one of that type of atom in a molecule.
4. Recognize that the coefficient is a number which describes how many of a particular molecule is present.


Click on the image below to download and run the virtual molecule lab. It takes a few minutes to download and run, so be patient. 

Build a Molecule
Click to Run

If clicking on the image does not work you can go to http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/build-a-molecule and click on "run now."


Have fun making lots of different types of molecules and collecting them all.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Powers of Ten

This classic film shows the power of "adding a zero." It starts off looking at a one meter square picnic scene near the shore of Lake Michigan. The camera pulls back to reveal 10 square meters, than 100, then 1000 then 10,000 etc... until the viewer is at the edge of the known universe many millions of light-years away from Earth. Then the viewer gets pulled back into the picnic scene... finally into the man's skin, into a blood vessel and eventually into a carbon atom in the man's DNA.

You can watch the film at this link.

This movie is introducing our basic chemistry unit. In order for us to understand the universe and the living things in it (Bio, after all, means life) we must understand the matter of which they're made. Since all living things are made up of atoms and molecules we need to understand how these basic building blocks of matter interact.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Origins: How Life Began Movie

You can re-watch the movie, "Origins: How life Began" at http://video.pbs.org/video/1978170520/ 
The PBS.org site will show you a couple of ads before the movie starts, but the complete movie will play once the commercials are over.



Answer the following questions about the movie.


Use the movie “Origins, How Life Began” to answer the following questions. If you need more room, use the back of the paper. Use full sentences.

1. What happened when another planet the size of Mars slammed into the early Earth?


2. According to a 17th century “recipe” for life that includes a dirty garment and wheat, what will form in 21 days?

3. Describe the Earth as it existed about 4 billion years ago.


4. When do scientists think that life first began on Earth?

5. What are “snottites?”  What are they made of? Why do scientists need to wear gas masks when searching for snottites?



6. What four chemical elements are in most life forms?


7. How did Stanley Miller try to simulate the formation of early life?


8. How could the ingredients of life have come to Earth from space?


9. How did scientist Jennifer Blank prove that amino acids could have survived the heat and pressure of smashing into the Earth on a meteor?


10. How do the bacteria (really archaea) that live deep underground survive? How often do these underground bacteria reproduce?


11. What is a “stromatalite?”


12. How long did bacteria dominate the Earth before more complex organisms developed?”

13. Write a 1 – 3 paragraph review of this movie. What do you think about this movie and the information you learned from it? How does it make you feel about life on Earth?

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Six Kingdoms Classification Project



Your mission is to fill out the "Six Kingdoms of Life" chart (handout). For each of the six kingdoms fill in "yes" or "no" in each column based on the characteristic listed at the top of the column.

Remember kingdoms have many different species in them so some kingdoms might have organisms that have different forms of a characteristic listed. For example in Kingdom Animalia there are both Herbivores and Carnivores, so you'd put a "yes" in both of those columns for Animalia.

While you may work together at the computers be careful to do your own work on your chart. Don't just put what someone else has because they have it... you must confirm the accuracy of your research from a reputable source (see below) rather than just from your friend in class.

In order to fill out your chart you can use information sources such as your class notes, the AGS Biology Text Chapter 15 Pp. 457-500 and the websites listed below.

The Six Kingdoms

http://www.ric.edu/faculty/ptiskus/six_kingdoms/index.htm   

http://archives.microbeworld.org/microbes/types.aspx

http://biology.about.com/od/evolution/a/aa091004a.htm

http://www.earthlife.net/kingdom.html


Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic 

http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/prokeuk.htm


http://tami-port.suite101.com/prokaryotic-and-eukaryotic-cells-a32332

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Prokaryote

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Eukaryote


Autotroph vs. Heterotroph 


http://www.buzzle.com/articles/autotrophs-and-heterotrophs.html

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Autotroph

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Heterotroph

Herbivores, Carnivores and Decomposers

http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/marssim/simhtml/info/whats-a-herbivore.html

http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/marssim/simhtml/info/whats-a-carnivore.html

http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/marssim/simhtml/info/whats-a-decomposer.html



Sexual vs. Asexual Reproduction 

(Background) http://msnucleus.org/membership/html/k-6/lc/organ/5/lco5_5a.html

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Asexual_reproduction

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Sexual_reproduction



Thursday, October 13, 2011

Antibiotic Resistance Animation

Watch this animation to find out why we need to be careful when using antibiotics. When we use antibiotics unnecessarily or when we don't finish taking the course of antibiotics the doctor prescribes, we can actually create bacteria that are immune to the antibiotic. Click on the following link, read the page and then click on the "watch the animation." If you have speakers or headphones you can listen to the narration, if you don't have speakers or headphones click on "step-through" to read as the animation steps through.

http://www.sumanasinc.com/scienceinfocus/sif_antibiotics.html


Another very interesting video about antibiotic resistance that is affecting US soldiers in the Iraq war is viewable at this link:


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/killer-microbe.html

Monday, October 10, 2011

Wanted: Dead or Alive! Bacteria


Bacteria Wanted Poster Assignment:



1. Use the internet to find out what you can about one type of bacteria.
2. Give it a nickname or AKA that tells us something about it. 
3. Write its "M.O." - what the police call its way of acting on the body... how does it do its thing? 
4. Write 3 reasons it is either good for people or bad for people.
5. Draw one or more pictures of the bacteria
6. Draw a picture of where the bacteria can be found or what it does to people

 
Some bacteria to learn about so you can pick one:
·      Escherichia coli (e-coli)
·      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
·      Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)
·      Lactobacillus (good guy)
·      Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax)
·      Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough)
·      Streptococcus pyogenes (strep throat and in extreme cases flesh eating bacteria aka necrotizing fasciitis)
·      Or you can find another bacterium that affects people
 
Rules:
  1. NO cutting and pasting from the web. All text must be in your words. At least two images must be drawn, then you may add additional images which you print out if you like.
  2. Keep track of your sources and write them on the back of your poster – full url’s
  3. Start poster in pencil, but add color using colored pencils, crayons or markers
  4. e-mail me with questions at ptdworkin-cantor@cps.edu

Some places to look, but you may find your own sources as well.
 

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Our first week

Welcome to Cantor's Biology Blog!

We learned about each other a bit and started reviewing some basic science concepts like making hypotheses.

Remember, 1st Period Honors Bio and 3b/7b Bio have their "What is Science?" Essay due on 9/12/11. 8th Period Bio's essay will be due on 9/19/11.

If you were absent make sure you get the following:
A Biography Sheet
A Syllabus
A "What is Science?" Essay assignment sheet (8th Period bio will receive this on Tuesday 9-14)

Next we will be learning how to analyze experimental results,  designing some experiments and improving our scientific observation skills.

If you have any questions you can see me after school or e-mail me any time at ptdworkin-cantor@cps.edu .

Monday, June 13, 2011

Course Evaluation

Please fill out this online course evaluation to help Mr. Cantor improve the Biology course and become a better teacher.


 You can find it at http://goo.gl/5UwA2

Friday, June 3, 2011

Evolutionary Events Timeline

A great source for information on the various species for your evolutionary events timeline is http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page  which is a wiki that people are creating to attempt to catalog every species on earth.

Use the search box to find examples of various species. Type in "jawless" to find images of jawless fish. If you then click on "multimedia" when the search results come in you can see images and video clips.



You can also just search google images for various species, but wikispecies has some great stuff.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Lorenzo's Oil RAFT assignment - Due Tuesday 4-12-11

Write a letter to Lorenzo's doctor. 

Role - Lorenzo’s parents (Michaela or Augosto Odone) 
Audience -  Dr. Nikolias who put the ALD boys on the no-fat diet to see if that would help their symptoms.
Format - A business letter
Topic - Why ALD boys need to not just stay on the low-fat diet, but need to start taking “Lorenzo’s Oil” (use evidence to convince Dr. Nikolias that boys MUST start taking the special oil you've discovered.)

Use the following underlined words in your letter.

Adrenolukodystrophy (ALD)
Long Chain Fatty Acids (C24 and C26)
Lorenzo’s Oil is made of Oleic Acid (C18) and Erucic Acid (C22)
Diet        
Symptoms
Myelin
Biosynthesis

The letter should be typed or written very neatly using standard English grammar.  You can see instructions for and an examples of business letters at the following links.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/02/

You may make up the doctor's address and your own return address. Be sure to put your real name and class period somewhere on the letter, since I can't give credit to Michaela or Agusto Odone. 

You can find out more about ALD at the following sites:

http://www.myelin.org/LorenzosOil/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenoleukodystrophy.htm

http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/ald/a/041301.htm

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Lorenzo's Oil - Some people make their own miracles.




The movie Lorenzo's oil is the true story of how one family uses science to find a way to treat their son when he gets the debilitating disease adenoleukodystrophy (ALD). The research the doctors were doing was taking too long, so Lorenzo's parents identified the problem which caused the disease and tested their hypotheses about how the disease could be treated. Boys who get ALD now use the treatment that Lorenzo's parents invented.

If you were absent during the movie you can watch it for free on HULU
http://www.hulu.com/watch/94073/lorenzos-oil


Here are a couple of obituaries of Lorenzo Odone who passed away the day after his 30th birthday... 22 years after the doctors predicted he would die.

http://neurologicalillness.suite101.com/article.cfm/lorenzo_odone_dies_at_30

http://www.myelin.org/lorenzo/

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Summer Opportunities - all sorts!


The following summer opportunities are in a wide range of fields including psychology, law, theater, digital video production, 3D modeling, creative writing, medicine, science and more. Please read through them and see what interests you. Some of them even pay you to have a great learning experience over the summer.
Psychology Summer Program

This summer, IIT Institute of Psychology is offering "Psychology in Everyday Life" to introduce high school students to the profession of psychology. The one week workshop will be a rich learning experience designed to help students make the connection between psychological principles and human behavior in everyday life. Students will acquire a broad array of facts about the developing child, the aging adult and everything else that occurs across the lifespan.

Cost $485 (some scholarships available)

When: June

Applications are due: May


Contact: Kristin Moriarty 312.567.3502 kmoriar2@iit.edu



Pritzker School of Medicine (YSTP)

The Pritzker School of Medicine Office of Multicultural Affairs is now accepting applications for their summer Young Scientists Training Program (YSTP). This is a 10-week summer program for up to ten outstanding minority high school students to gain experience in research, medicine, and the biological sciences. Students work in the laboratories of University of Chicago faculty where they learn basic or clinical research in the areas of diabetes, endocrinology, nutrition, obesity, digestive, liver, urologic, kidney, or blood disorders.

When June – August

Deadline March 20





Goodman Theater General Theater Studies

A FREE six-week theater intensive for students 14 to 19-year-old in the Chicago metropolitan area, General Theater Studies gives students the opportunity to learn skills from local theater professionals that are instantly applicable not only to the world of theater, but also their world at large. This summer program is designed to validate the voices of its participants, get them to examine their own potential for creativity and introduce them to all elements of the creation of theater, both on stage and behind the scenes. GTS will culminate in public presentations of an original performance created by the participants!

Cost: Free

When June – July


Contact 312.443.5581 or email education@goodmantheatre.org


The Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI)

CSBI provides a six-week paid internship program for high school sophomores and juniors each summer.  These internships take place at various banks, accounting, engineering, and law firms throughout the Loop and business districts.  In conjunction with a 28-hour workweek, students attend half-day classroom seminars and workshops every week where they learn about the financial markets, attend seminars given by successful business executives, and participate in team building programs.

Eligibility Requirements:

Student must currently be a Sophomore or Junior;  
Student must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher;  
Student must attend either a public, parochial or private high school;  
Student must be a resident of the City of Chicago;  

When June - August

Deadline: March (must attend readiness workshop on April 2)

For information or to apply: www.cityofchicago.org/CSBI

Contact Debra Carson, Program Director at 312-545-7855 csbi1999@comcast.net


Project Exploration’s Discover Your Summer Guide
Discover Your Summer is a guide to summer science opportunities. It is filled with information on more than 175 programs in Chicago, the Midwest, and beyond.
All of our youth programs are free, eliminating the cost barrier that prevents low-income students from accessing dynamic out-of-school time science programs.
For information or to apply: http://www.projectexploration.org/dys/
Contact 773.834.7614 or email dys@projectexploration.org

National Bar Association  Crump Law Camp

The National Bar Association Crump Law Camp was established to provide students entering the ninth through eleventh grades (between the ages of 14 and 17) with an introduction to the American judicial system. Campers will be housed on the campus of Howard University and live in a protected campus environment. The inaugural two-week camp was held at Howard University School of Law. The camp provides students with an exciting academic and social agenda, which includes field trips in the Washington, DC area. The competitive highlight of the camp is the Evett L. Simmons Mock Trial Competition. The four winners of this competition are invited to the NBA's Annual Convention. Washington, DC.

Cost: varies Free-$1400 (sliding scale)

When: July

Deadline: April

Information or apply: http://www.nationalbar.org/lawcamp/index.shtml  301-249-8355


CDC Disease Detective Camp

The CDC Disease Detective Camp (DDC) is a 5 day academic day camp for high school juniors and seniors during the upcoming school year. Campers will take on the roles of disease detectives and learn how CDC safeguards the nation's health.

When: June session and July session

Deadline: April

For more info and to apply to go http://www.cdc.gov/museum/camp/index.htm



Expressing yourself through writing: (For African Americans only)

African American Adolescent Male Summer Literacy Institute (AAAMSLI)

The African American Adolescent Male Summer Literacy Institute helps connect young black males to literacy as a possible way out of violence and poverty. Students read and write about their plight and issues affecting their generation, while learning valuable life skills. "The institute focuses on using a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts as tools to support African-American adolescent males to write about the multiple contexts that shape their lives". The institute features reading, writing, spoken word and mentoring to help nurture the next generation of socially conscious readers and writers. Five young males will be selected for a two-day trip to Harlem in August, and have their writings critiqued by Walter Dean Myers.

Cost: Free (students paid a $150 stipend)

When: July, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

Where: UIC Reading Clinic, 1040 W. Harrison St. (L268 - level)

For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu


Contact: Alfred W. Tatum, Ph.D. Director of the UIC Reading Clinic/Associate Professor (312) 413-3883 atatum1@uic.edu



African American Adolescent Female Summer Literacy Institute (AAAFSLI)

See above, but for females 11-17 yo

Contact: Lynette Danley ldanley@uic.edu at 312-996-4508 (office)


The summer academy at DePaul – Media, digital video, 3D digital animation

This is a week long program held at DePaul University's Loop campus for High school students. They will receive hands-on instruction using the latest equipment and technology and will be taught by faculty from DePaul's School of Cinema and Interactive Media with real world experience.  Areas of focus will include digital cinema production, 3D computer modeling and animation for games and cinema and computer game development. This intensive week-long session will provide motivated students with a valuable educational experience as well as an advantage in today's competitive world of college admission.

Cost $750

Deadline: June 1st

When: July


Information contact: gocdm@cdm.depaul.edu



The High School Summer Institute at Columbia College

This is an intensive non-residential 5-week program for creative high school students that have completed their sophomore, junior, or senior year of study who want to immerse themselves in the visual, media, and communication arts.


Students spend the summer exploring their ideas, developing the technical skills that bring their ideas to life, and earning college credit while they’re at it. High School Summer Institute students study with the same working professionals and scholars who teach Columbia’s undergraduates. Students also hone their craft in Columbia’s state-of-the-art facilities—film and video production and post-production studios, photography labs, animation labs, graphic design labs, dance studios, concert halls, theater stages, radio station, recording facilities, art studios, performance spaces, television studios, and more.

When: July – August

Application Deadline: June




Friday, March 4, 2011

Water intoxification: Hold your wee for a wii contest


Take a look at this short MSNBC news story about Jennifer Strange and her death by hyponatremia. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16614865/ns/us_news-life/

This link describes the sports medicine concern with hyponatremia that occurs in athletes who sweat a lot during an event, and then drink large amounts of water. Jennifer was not sweating like an athlete, but her body reacted in a similar way.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/Hyponatremia.htm

CBS News also did a story a few days later explaining a bit more about the consequences for the people who worked for the radio station.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/18/national/main2369761.shtml

It turns out that the DJs were joking about a person who died from water intoxication two years prior to their Wii contest... so they knew it was dangerous. The radio station was sued by Jennifer Strange's family and had to pay them quite a bit. The following article from the LA Times newspaper gives the details.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/jury-awards-16-million-in-radio-prank-that-left-sacramentoarea-woman-dead-.html

Bacteria: WANTED DEAD or ALIVE - Due March 15th

Wanted Poster

Bacteria Wanted Poster Assignment:



1. Use the internet to find out what you can about one type of bacteria.
2. Give it a nickname or AKA that tells us something about it. 
3. Write its "M.O." - what the police call its way of acting on the body... how does it do its thing? 
4. Write 3 reasons it is either good for people or bad for people.
5. Draw one or more pictures of the bacteria
6. Draw a picture of where the bacteria can be found or what it does to people

 
Some bacteria to research and then pick one:
·      Escherichia coli (e-coli)
·      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
·      Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)
·      Lactobacillus (good guy)
·      Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax)
·      Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough)
·      Streptococcus pyogenes (strep throat and in extreme cases flesh eating bacteria aka necrotizing fasciitis)
·      Or you can find another bacterium that affects people
 
Rules:
  1. NO cutting and pasting from the web. All text must be in your words. At least two images must be drawn, then you may add additional images which you print out if you like.
  2. Keep track of your sources and write them on the back of your poster – full url’s
  3. Start poster in pencil, but add color using colored pencils, crayons or markers
  4. e-mail me with questions at ptdworkin-cantor@cps.edu

Some places to look, but you may find your own sources as well.
 

Monday, February 21, 2011

Mitosis = Somatic Cell Division

Mitosis is the process of cell division for eukaryotic cells found in multicellular organisms.  All cells come from existing cells and mitosis is how most cells divide. The only eukaryotic cells which do not divide by mitosis are sex cells a.k.a. gametes a.k.a sperm and egg cells.



The following links are to sites which can help you understand how mitosis works. The sites combine images, text and animation. Look at each site to best understand how the process works.

http://www.cellsalive.com/mitosis.htm 

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/mitosis.htm

http://www.johnkyrk.com/mitosis.html


http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/mitosis.html

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Identifying microscopic organisms



Use the following links to help identify the various microorganisms you have found in your "pond" water samples.

This page some images and descriptions that will help you identify organisms you may find in our pond water. http://www.microscope-microscope.org/applications/pond-critters/pond-critters.htm

These other links may also be helpful if you don't find what you need on the first page.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/smal1.html

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/index.html

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Macromolecule Project


Macromolecule Links – You may use these as a starting point in your research. Be sure to write down the information in your own words after you take notes on several sources about your topic. You may also do searches on Google, Yahoo, or other search engines, but you must keep track of all sources and beware of plagiarism.

General:








Proteins












Nucleic Acids










Lipids












Carbohydrates